Cycling in Cambridge

Cycling from Murray Edwards College

Cycling in Cambridge is famous. When featured on the television, imagery of hundreds of cyclists often accompanies the piece. Our relatively small city is mainly flat and very easy to get around by bicycle. It includes over 80 miles of cycle lanes and routes offering a quick and easy way to travel throughout the city, whilst cutting down on your carbon footprint and maintaining your own fitness commitments.

Getting to Cambridge

Should you take the train into Cambridge and then cycle to Murray Edwards College; the journey will take just 13 minutes through the historic city centre. The National Rail Enquiries website offers ‘PlusBike’; a “one stop shop for information about your combined cycle and rail journey”.

Even if you bring your bicycle with your car, Murray Edwards College offers free, on-site car parking at the rear of the College.

From Murray Edwards College to the City Centre

Cambridge centre is easily accessed from Murray Edwards’ location on the precipice of the oldest part of the city. As you look down Castle Hill (or better, from Castle Mound) you can see the city opening up from boutique shops to the spires of the University.

A quick free-wheel down the hill brings you quickly into the hustle and bustle of historic quayside where you’ll hear punt touts encouraging you to while away hours on the idyllic River Cam. Before long you’re surrounded by high street stores, the market square and University and College buildings. There are covered cycle parks in the city centre and at Murray Edwards College.

Touring the Cambridge countryside

Murray Edwards’s position in Cambridge also makes it easy to access the surrounding countryside. For example, within an hour, following the old coaching road between London and Cambridge, you can be at your first pub-stop; the small parish of Newton. Here the Queens Head pub offers high quality beers (plus alternative drinks and food) served in a beautiful setting at the heart of this small village. The pub has featured in every edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide.

Cambridgeshire County Council provide a map of cycle routes in Cambridge city and connections with surrounding villages, which can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of the page.

A few tips about cycling in Cambridge

Bring a secure lock and ALWAYS lock your bike securely. A ‘U’ lock secured to a fixed object is best.

Consider some additional cycling training, especially if you are not used to cycling in a city or in the UK or if you are bringing a child.

There are plenty of places in the city where you can hire a bicycle if you don’t want to bring one from home. City Cycle Hire on Newnham Road is closest to Murray Edwards College or Rutland Cycling is located at the railway station.

Wear appropriate clothing and reflective items at night. By law you must have lights on your bicycle if travelling between sunset and sunrise.

So, if you are looking for a city where you can indulge your love of cycling, Cambridge is the one for you! If you are not attending a meeting or event with us, you can always book bed and breakfast as an individual during vacations through our online B&B booking system.